The Fashion + Textile Museum will host “Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London” from 4 October 2024 to 9 March 2025, exploring the creative explosion surrounding the short-lived nightclub Taboo. The exhibition features over 30 designers, original attire, and key cultural artifacts from a transformative era in fashion, spotlighting the subversion of gender norms and the vibrant spirit of London in the 1980s.
Discover the vibrant 1980s London scene at the Fashion + Textile Museum’s upcoming exhibition, “Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London,” running from 4 October 2024 to 9 March 2025. The exhibition revisits the impact of the short-lived nightclub Taboo, launched in 1985 by designer Leigh Bowery, which brought together diverse talents from various creative fields, including fashion, art, and performance. Featuring over 30 designers, including Bowery, the exhibition showcases original outfits and accessories, as well as photography and films that encapsulate the electrifying energy of the era. The installation invites visitors into the raw, underground culture of 1980s London, presenting notable pieces such as Boy George’s graphic jacket and Bowery’s iconic shower curtain cape. A recreated squat of Bowery and Trojan, with Star Trek wallpaper, offers insight into the subcultures that flourished during this time. The exhibition also highlights early venues where future fashion heavyweights, like Pam Hogg and BodyMap, made their mark. In addition to celebrating outfits from the Taboo dance floor, the exhibition demonstrates how this alternative style resonated in the mainstream, influencing fashion magazines and pop stars. Designs blurring gender lines, resourceful creations from salvaged materials, and the transformative potential of clothing are key themes explored. “Outlaws” highlights the pioneering spirit of designers who subverted norms and reshaped British culture, leaving a lasting legacy that informs contemporary fashion.
The exhibition focuses on the cultural phenomenon of the 1980s, particularly the influential nightclub Taboo, which served as a creative hub for designers and artists. It captures the essence of a time when fashion was a means of rebellion against the mainstream, characterised by radical creativity and nonconformity. The exhibition provides a platform for both celebrated and overlooked designers from this vibrant period, connecting past fashions to contemporary trends.
“Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London” offers an in-depth look at the innovative spirit of 1980s fashion, showcasing designers who challenged societal norms and reshaped cultural identities. The exhibition preserves the legacy of this eclectic scene and its impact on modern fashion, underscoring the importance of creativity and rebellion in artistic expression.
Original Source: artlyst.com